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View Full Version : Wild caught pinkies- would you feed?



Selkielass
04-25-2011, 12:59 PM
I was cleaning out my bee hives last week and as usual, found several field mouse nests, complete with pinkies and fuzzies.

I saved them, euthanized them, and tucked them away in the freezer, but now I'm wondering if they would be safe to feed after a few months.

The nests were in overwintered wooden hives placed in the middle of a meadow. No fleas or external parasites were visible. The only domestic animals nearby are some chickens 1/4 mile away and the neighbors dogs, a couple acres over.

Whatcha think? My first thought was "Free snake food!", but I'm obviously having second thoughts.

guidofatherof5
04-25-2011, 01:04 PM
A concern I would have is, What was the Mother eating?
Mice will eat anything. Good or bad.
There's always a risk with wild caught food.

Selkielass
04-25-2011, 01:12 PM
Well, Honey and pollen for one thing!
Lots of wild grasses and grains in that meadow, and the nests were made from soft grasses and vegetable fluff.
No pesticides or rodenticides in this part of the property.
Fruit trees on the front half of the 5 acre property may have been sprayed this season, but they are quite a distance away.

BLUESIRTALIS
04-25-2011, 01:18 PM
I would be concerned if there is a chance that the mother could have ate any rodent poison or anything toxic that could be passed to the babies which might could harm the snakes. I found a nest when i was younger that i caught in a wooded area away from any houses or businesses that i kept and monitored for a few days they seemed fine so i froze them and did not ever have any problems with the snakes.

infernalis
04-25-2011, 01:30 PM
I leave the wild mice in the wild. ;)

RedSidedSPR
04-25-2011, 04:55 PM
YOU CRUEL INHUMANE MONSTER!!! Just kidding. I would have done the same thing:D Except... I would be kinda concerned... but I don't know much about this. I just buy the food, and the wild stuff in the wild.

RdubSnider
04-30-2011, 09:12 AM
I think the odds are you'll be fine. However since pinkies are so cheap I would never risk it

ConcinusMan
05-04-2011, 01:33 AM
Keep them at around 0 degrees F for a month or two. I really don't see any problem with using them. I've done it before. They're probably fine to use.

d_virginiana
05-04-2011, 10:03 AM
They probably wouldn't hurt anything, but I'd still be paranoid about using wild-caught mice.